'The Mill' comprises a family of buildings centred on a courtyard and includes a 23-storey tower, the tallest building in East Anglia.

The scheme is a mixture of 327 residential apartments, a major dance house and theatre, bars, restaurants and shops. There is also an eight-storey car park.

The Mill occupies a one-hectare plot previously dominated by Cranfield Mills, a 19th century industrial complex. The densely packed site was augmented over the next 100 years, most significantly in the 1950s when grain silos, 17 storeys high, were added. These have since been demolished, although some of the Victorian era mill buildings have been retained. The new development creates 382 dwellings per hectare.

Each building is clad in its own material - render, Prodema timber boarding, Eternit spandrel panels and two types of brick - although they share common details. Velfac windows are specified throughout and all balcony railings are the same. The lowest block is eight-storeys high and backing onto the soaring tower, there are two blocks which rise 17 and 13 storeys, in a composition which steps down from the waterfront.